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It takes about three days for a horse to digest
an oat.
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There are a total of about 75 million horses in
the world.
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"The
one great precept and practice in using a horse is this, never deal
with him when you are in a fit of passion." Xenophon, The
Art Of Horsemanship, 400 BC
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The
tallest documented mule is Apollo. He foaled in 1977, measures 19.1
hh, and is the offspring of a Belgian mare crossed with a mammoth
jack.
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Show
jumping was first televised in Great Britain in1948 during the
Olympic Games at Wembley, London.
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The
smallest recorded horse was a stallion called Little Pumpkin; foaled
on April 15, 1973; he stood 14 inches high and weighed just 20
pounds in 1975.
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The
oldest horse recorded was Old Billy. Foaled in 1760, he died on
November 27, 1822, having reached an incredible 62 years of age.
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The
oldest Thoroughbred racehorse was Tango Duke. Foaled in 1935, he
died on January 25, 1978 at the age of 42.
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The
tallest documented horse was a Shire gelding called Sampson; foaled
in 1846, he measured 21.2 hh in 1850 and weighed 3,360 pounds.
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The
oldest horse to win a race was 18 year old Revenge, who won at
Shrewsbury, England, in 1790.
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The
fastest horse recorded was Big Racket, who reached an amazing 43.26
mph in a quarter mile race in Mexico City on February 5, 1945.
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Charles
Pahud de Mortanges (Netherlands) holds the record for winning four
Olympic gold medals for three-day eventing in 1924, 1928, and 1932.
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The
Thoroughbred Janus, who was imported to the USA in 1756, is
considered to be one of the foundation sires of the Quarter Horse.
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'Duplice
corde, two hearts that beat as one and a single brain: the
perfect combination of horse and rider.' Alessandro Alvisi
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Horses
will generally begin to grow their winter coats in September, when
the hair thickens and becomes coarser and dull. This gives rise to
the saying, 'no horse looks well at blackberry time'.
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A
'war horse' is the term given to someone who has lived through many
hardships and can always be relied upon.
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The
most common type of Roman chariot to be used in races was drawn by
four horses, and was called the quadriga.
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The
earliest methods of harnessing animals always involved two animals,
one on either side of a central shaft. The idea of harnessing one
animal between two shafts did not appear to develop until the second
century in China.
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The
Great Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, kept a herd of
approximately 10,000 pure white mares, along with pure white
stallions, and these horses were treated as sacred.
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Koumiss
is the name given to a drink made from fermented mare's milk that is
a specialty among the nomadic Kazaks of Kazakhstan, Eurasia. The
Kazaks believe that this drink can cure many diseases.
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Old
horses will often grow white hairs around the face and their muzzle.
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Vaqueros
is the name given to the Spanish cowboy; they were among the first
cowboys in America.
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The
first trams were horse-drawn, usually by one to four horses. They
traveled at a speed of around 6-7 mph, and were still being used
well into the last half of the 19th century.
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In
the Persian epic Shah Namah, Book of Kings, the chief hero,
Rustam, rode a horse called Rakush, who was reputed to be the best
warhorse in the world.
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When
a horse or pony loses a shoe, it is sometimes said to have 'thrown a
shoe'.
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Mr.
Ed, the talking equine star of the 1960s television series, was a
golden palomino. He learned an enormous amount of tricks for his
role, including answering a telephone, opening doors, writing notes
with a pencil, and unplugging a light. Apparently, Mr. Ed would
occasionally have a fit of temper, as befitting his star status, and
would stand stock still, wheezing and refusing to move.
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When
clipping a horse's coat, the first clip is usually done in October
and the last clip should not be done any later than the last week of
January. Clipping after this time will affect the spring coat
growing through.
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The
first American-bred and owned racehorse to win the Grand National
was Battleship, son of Man O' War, who won the legendary race in
1938 while being ridden by a seventeen year old jockey.
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The
Celts regarded the horse as a sacred animal in their beliefs.
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Horses'
hooves grow approximately 0.25 in a month, and take nearly a year to
grow from the coronet band to the ground.
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In
the state of Arizona, it is illegal for cowboys to walk through a
hotel lobby wearing their spurs.
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The
WAHO is the World Arabian Horse Association, which approves the
Arabian studbooks worldwide.
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Feeding
garlic to horses is believed to help combat some worms, repel flies,
aid respiratory disorders, and have a cleansing effect of blood.
There is, however, no scientific evidence to prove this, and it does
cause halitosis (chronic bad breath).
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The
amazing tomb of Qin Shi Huang, 259 BC to 210 BC, the first emperor
of the Qin Dynasty contains over 500 terracotta models of chariots
horses, and 116 terracotta cavalry horses. The terracotta models
show great detail, with the manes clipped and braided, and the
horses standing around 17 hh.
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Han
Kan was a famous artist of the T'ang Dynasty, 618-906 AD and was the
court and horse painter to the Emperor Hsuan-Tsung, who is believed
to have owned approximately 40,000 horses.
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Horses
with lop ears are often said to have a kind temperament, but beware
of the exception to the rule.
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At
one time it was a Japanese custom to hang the head of a horse at the
entrance to a farmhouse to act as a good luck talisman.
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Cross-country
jumps are marked with a red flag on the right side and a white flag
on the left side; the horse has to jump through these two flags or
it is considered out of bounds and you are disqualified.
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During
Oliver Cromwell's reign in England (1649-59) horse racing was
illegal.
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When
riding on roads it is a good idea to wear some form of reflective
clothing.
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A
landau was the preferred fine-weather carriage for fashionable
ladies and gentlemen of the 19th century.
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The
western cowboy is responsible for taking care of the vast herds of
cattle and horses belonging to the rancher for whom he works.
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You
can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink!
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A
healthy adult horse should have a pulse of between 36 and 40 beats
per minute while at rest.
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'Don't
lock the stable door after the horse has bolted' is an old saying
meaning that once the damage has been done it is too late to take
precautions against it.
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Japan
has restaurants that specialize in horse meat. When this delicacy is
served raw, it is called 'cherry blossom'.
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The
highest prize money in horse racing in the world is the $2.4 million
first prize for the Dubai World Cup.
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Arabians
have one less rib, one less lumbar bone, and one or two fewer tail
vertebrae than other horses.
